The present invention relates generally to the field of wireless telephony. Specifically, the present invention relates to an improved and more ergonomic means for entering input into a wireless telephone unit.
Since their introduction, wireless communication systems including pagers, cellular telephones and low-tier radio telephones, have become increasingly popular. Such devices provide an extremely convenient means for communication.
Wireless communication systems, particularly cellular telephones and low-tier radio telephones, are convenient because they allow their users to save time. The user of a wireless telephone unit need not waste time looking for an available telephone in order to place a call. A wireless telephone unit also allows its user to take advantage of time spent traveling. For example, with a wireless telephone, the user can be transacting business or making appointments while driving, riding or walking.
In order to utilize fully these advantages of wireless telephones, it should be convenient for the user to have the wireless telephone unit readily available at all times. In recognition of this fact, modern wireless telephones have become increasingly smaller and lighter to facilitate being carried by the user.
Moreover, a wireless telephone user who is walking or driving, may have only a single hand readily available to operate the wireless telephone unit. This consideration has lead to some attempts to design wireless telephone units that are easily operated with a single hand.
Another important consideration is that traveling users may not have access to a telephone directory or office records when attempting to place a call. This consideration has lead to modern wireless telephones capable of storing important information such as an electronic directory of telephone numbers.
A typical wireless telephone may have a small liquid crystal display capable of displaying up to four lines of characters, for example. Using such a display, the user may scroll through stored data, such as a directory of telephone numbers, and select, for example, a number to be called.
The display may also show a list of functions through which the user can scroll. When a function, such as speaker volume, is selected, the user can then input information or parameters to govern that function.
To allow the user to scroll though information on the display, some modern wireless telephone units provide a shuttle. The shuttle is a dial located on the left side of the wireless telephone unit. The shuttle is freely rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the face, i.e. the display, of the cellular telephone unit, and acts as a rotary encoder.
When the user rotates the shuttle in either direction, the display scrolls through stored information in the corresponding direction. When the appropriate information is displayed, for example, the number the user the wishes to call, means for selecting that information are provided. In the example, the unit then automatically dials the selected number.
However, the shuttle located on the left side of the telephone is ergonomically difficult for a right-handed person to operate, particularly with a single hand. The use of the shuttle is also poorly integrated with the use of other keys on the unit when parameters for governing a function, such as speaker volume, are being input. Moreover, with the freely rotatable shuttle, it is difficult for the user to readily control or determine how much information has been scrolled through by a movement of the shuttle.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a wireless telephone unit which can more ergonomically and efficiently receive scrolling input from the user. There is a further need for a shuttle which allows the user to readily control and determine the amount of information through which the display scrolls in response to the rotation of the shuttle. Also, there is a need for a shuttle which is better integrated into the overall means for controlling the wireless telephone unit.
Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to meet the above-described needs and others. It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved shuttle means for entering control information to a wireless telephone unit.
More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shuttle which is ergonomic and easily operated by either a right- or left-handed person.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shuttle which allows the user to readily control and determine the amount of information through which a display scrolls in response to the rotation of the shuttle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shuttle which is well integrated into the overall means for controlling the telephone unit so as to facilitate the operation of the wireless telephone unit with a single hand.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows or may be learned by those skilled in the art through reading these materials or practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be achieved through the means recited in the attached claims.
To achieve the stated and other objects of the present invention, as embodied and described below, the invention may comprise a wireless telephone unit having: a speaker; a microphone; a display disposed on the face of the unit; a shuttle which is also disposed on the face of the unit such that the shuttle may be operated by a thumb of a user without regard to whether the unit is held in the left or right hand of the user; and means for selecting material displayed on the display. The display is controlled by operation of the shuttle.
The shuttle may rotate about an axis which is perpendicular to a line along which the speaker and the microphone are disposed. The shuttle may further comprise a detent mechanism wherein an increment of rotation of the shuttle is made perceptible to the user by the detent mechanism and that increment of rotation corresponds to a predetermined amount of material to be scrolled across the display in response to the rotation of the shuttle. The predetermined amount of material may be equal to the capacity of the display. The shuttle may also be displacable along an axis about which it rotates, the displacement along the axis being a means of inputting a parameter to the wireless telephone unit.
The wireless telephone unit may also comprise a keypad which slides into and out of the unit. The keypad may be recessed in the unit during those times when the user exclusively calls numbers stored in the unit""s memory. The keypad may be pulled out of the unit for use when a number not stored in the unit""s memory is to be called.